Rate rises by 19% compared with 2020, prompting fresh concerns about NHS maternity care

The risk of women in England suffering severe bleeding after giving birth has risen to its highest level for five years, prompting fresh concern about NHS maternity care.

The rate at which mothers in England experience postpartum haemorrhage has increased from 27 per 1,000 births in 2020 to 32 per 1,000 this year – a rise of 19%.

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© Photograph: gorodenkoff/Getty Images/iStockphoto

© Photograph: gorodenkoff/Getty Images/iStockphoto

© Photograph: gorodenkoff/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Exclusive: PM’s outspoken attack on stoppages planned for 17-22 December risks inflaming tensions with medics

• Keir Starmer: Resident doctors, a fair deal is on the table. Please do not strike at this moment of crisis for the NHS

Keir Starmer has said it is “frankly beyond belief” that resident doctors would strike during the NHS’s worst moment since the pandemic, in remarks that risk inflaming tensions with medical staff.

Writing for the Guardian, the prime minister made an outspoken attack on the strikes planned for 17-22 December for placing “the NHS and patients who need it in grave danger”.

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© Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/AP

© Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/AP

© Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/AP

Mark Rowley says capital is a safe city, and claims of no-go areas are ‘completely false’

Members of the House of Lords have proposed “totally unnecessary” and “very cruel” amendments to the assisted dying bill in a bid to scupper it, Kim Leadbeater, the MP leading the campaign for the legislation, has said. Kiran Stacey has the story.

I have beefed up the post at 9.08am to include the direct quote from Wes Streeting about not being able to guarantee patient safety in the NHS if the strike by resident doctors in England goes ahead. You may need to refresh the page to get the update to appear.

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© Photograph: Tayfun Salcı/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Tayfun Salcı/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Tayfun Salcı/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

For her directorial debut, Winslet assembled a cast including Toni Collette, Timothy Spall, Johnny Flynn and Andrea Riseborough to tell a story inspired by her own family’s bereavement. The actors talk mourning, immortality and hospital vending machines

In 2017, Sally Bridges-Winslet died of cancer. She was 71. It was, her youngest daughter said, “like the north star just dropped out of the sky”.

It would have been even worse, says Kate Winslet today, had the family not pulled together. “I do have tremendous amounts of peace and acceptance around what happened because of how we were able to make it for her.”

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© Photograph: Suki Dhanda/The Guardian

© Photograph: Suki Dhanda/The Guardian

© Photograph: Suki Dhanda/The Guardian

Hospitals treating record numbers of flu patients but worst is yet to come as medical bosses urge people to get vaccinated

The NHS is bracing for its worst ever winter crisis in the next fortnight because of a worsening “flu-nami” that has left hospitals, GP surgeries and ambulances services under intense strain.

Hospitals are already treating record numbers of people seriously ill because of flu for the time of year. But things will get worse in the days ahead, NHS leaders said, as medical bosses urged people to get vaccinated against the virus so they can enjoy Christmas gatherings more safely.

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© Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA

© Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA

© Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA

As corridor care has become the norm, safest option for those with flu symptoms is to contact GP or NHS 111 and try to stay home

As cases of flu rise sharply across the UK, the Guardian spoke to Amir Hassan, an emergency medicine consultant and the divisional medical director at Epsom and St Helier University hospitals NHS trust, who shared his views.

“We’re seeing increased numbers of patients coming through, a lot of them with respiratory-type illnesses. It means we need to try to isolate these patients and treat them – so they’ll come in with shortness of breath, [and a] cough.

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© Photograph: Jeff Moore/PA

© Photograph: Jeff Moore/PA

© Photograph: Jeff Moore/PA

Number of people in England being treated remains at record level for this time of year with daily average of 2,660

The NHS is facing its “worst-case scenario” for flu cases this month across England after the number of people in hospital with the illness increased by 55% in a week.

An average of 2,660 patients a day were in an NHS hospital bed with flu, up from 1,717 last week and the highest ever for this time of year. By comparison, in the same week last year the number of patients in hospital with flu stood at 1,861, compared with 402 in 2023.

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© Photograph: Jeff Moore/PA

© Photograph: Jeff Moore/PA

© Photograph: Jeff Moore/PA

BMA puts health secretary’s offer, which includes pledge to double number of extra training places, to resident doctors

Wes Streeting has made an improved offer to end the long-running dispute with resident doctors before their strike next week that threatens to bring chaos to the NHS as it battles a flu surge.

The health secretary has pledged to double the number of extra places that early career doctors in England can apply for in order to train in the area of medicine they have chosen to specialise in.

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© Photograph: Adam Vaughan/EPA

© Photograph: Adam Vaughan/EPA

© Photograph: Adam Vaughan/EPA

Women say fears were dismissed and help was unavailable at crucial moments during labour

Almost one in five women feel their concerns were not taken seriously by healthcare professionals during childbirth, according to the “concerning” results of a national survey of maternity experiences.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) survey of almost 17,000 women who gave birth across England in NHS settings this year found that 15% felt they had not been given relevant advice or support when they contacted a midwife at the start of their labour, while 18% said their concerns had not been taken seriously.

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© Photograph: Halfpoint Images/Getty Images

© Photograph: Halfpoint Images/Getty Images

© Photograph: Halfpoint Images/Getty Images

One in five patients treated in hallways, offices and cupboards at almost every A&E, according to research

Corridor care is “endemic” in the UK, doctors have said, as a major study found one in five patients were treated in hallways, offices and cupboards.

Millions of patients are enduring undignified and unsafe care, with almost every A&E department in the country deploying the approach routinely, contravening national guidance, research reveals.

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© Photograph: PA

© Photograph: PA

© Photograph: PA

Financial and social incentives can nudge doctors away from the operating room.

© Lauren Petracca for The New York Times

A cyberattack on hospitals in North Central Massachusetts has caused major operational disruptions at Heywood Hospital in Gardner and Athol Hospital, a smaller critical access facility in Athol. Both hospitals are operated by Heywood Healthcare, a non-profit organization serving the region.  The incident, which was first detected last week, led to an immediate network shutdown as part of emergency response protocols to contain the breach and protect patient data and hospital systems. Following detection, a “Code Black” was declared, a designation used in healthcare settings to indicate a critical system outage, and emergency departments were closed to ambulance arrivals. Ambulances had to be rerouted to other regional hospitals due to system inaccessibility. 

Decoding the Athol and Heywood Hospital Cyberattack

The hospital cyberattack disrupted vital services, including Internet access, email communication, and phone lines. Radiology and laboratory operations were also affected. While communication systems have since been partially restored, hospital officials confirmed on October 16, 2025, that the outage was due to a cybersecurity incident. A third-party cybersecurity firm has been brought in to investigate the breach and support recovery efforts.  Despite the disruption, both Heywood Hospital and Athol Hospital have remained open for patient care, including outpatient services provided by Heywood Medical Group. Officials stressed that patient safety remains the top priority, and that care delivery continues, though some services are operating at reduced capacity.  As a temporary workaround, the Athena patient portal has been made accessible to facilitate communication between patients and providers. Patients unable to access the portal are advised to use the hospital’s answering service. 

Why is the Healthcare Sector a Prime Target for Cybercriminals?

Healthcare facilities are prime targets for cybercriminals, particularly ransomware groups. According to a recent study conducted by the Ponemon Institute, 93% of healthcare organizations surveyed experienced a cybersecurity incident in the past year. Alarmingly, 72% of those incidents led to patient care disruptions, highlighting the direct impact such breaches have on healthcare delivery.  The same study pointed to consequences such as appointment cancellations, delayed intakes, extended hospital stays, worsened patient outcomes, and even increased mortality rates following cyberattacks. These findings emphasize the potentially life-threatening implications of cybersecurity lapses in healthcare environments. 

Investigation Ongoing, No Timeline for Full Recovery 

Heywood Hospital and Athol Hospital continue to work with cybersecurity professionals to investigate the breach and restore normal operations. While communication tools and some functions are back online, full system functionality has yet to be reestablished, and no specific timeline has been shared publicly.  The hospitals have not confirmed whether ransomware was involved, nor have they reported any evidence of stolen or exposed patient data. Heywood Healthcare has assured the public that it will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more information becomes available.